Traditions Pursuit Ultralight Muzzleloader

Trusted Review™ Scorecard

Average Score: 5.0out of5.0

Each product or service is rated on Quality, Reliability, Price/Value, and Referability. Each area has an individual score, and creates an overall Trusted Review™.

Early hunting muzzleloaders were less serious hunting tools than attractive replicas of historical firearms. There’s a lot to be said for hunting the way it was done 150 years ago but some hunters want to use the muzzleloader season to extend their season. Those hunters want accurate, reliable guns that are easy to maintain.

The Traditions Pursuit Ultralight is lightweight, accurate and easy to clean.

No category of firearms has improved as much in recent years as muzzleloaders. While accuracy has been improving for several years, the real growth has been in convenience and affordability. For the 2011 deer season, we used the Traditions Firearms Pursuit Ultralight Muzzleloader, a hinge action 50 caliber lightweight rifle that exemplifies what a modern muzzleloading hunting rifle can be. At less than six pounds and with a 26” fluted barrel, the Pursuit Ultralight has the feel of a conventional centerfire hunting rifle. My wife, Cherie, and daughter, Valarie, have both killed deer with it and it’s the favorite muzzleloader in our family.

It came mounted with a Traditions 3-9 scope and the first shot was perfectly centered, an occurrence that rarely happens in bore sighted rifle/scope combinations. After shooting a two inch, three shot group, I never moved the turrets. Most muzzleloader triggers in the past have been far from great but this rifle has a trigger that’s better than the average premium centerfire. With a removable breech plug that’s on a double helix thread, the plug comes out with just a few twists.

Accurate, with a good trigger, easy to clean and affordable, the Pursuit would more accurately be described as the leader. Priced at around $300, it’s a bargain.

Quality

This is a utility gun meant to effectively kill deer. The finish is reasonable, the trigger is exceptional for the cost of the gun and this is a big deal in a rifle and the accuracy is above the norm.

Reliability

This is a big issue with a muzzleloader. Not just in the quality of the build of the gun but in the way the gun is designed. Many muzzleloaders are in trouble when it rains. This is not a problem for the Pursuit. The 209 ignition system is the best there is, the ability to clean the gun easily contributes to reliability as does the ease of checking the condition of the flash hole. I can’t imagine a more reliable system.

Price/Value

This is where this gun shines. Compared to guns almost twice the price, this gun can hold its own. The convenience of cleaning saves the owner effort every time he uses this gun and that’s a real long term payoff.

Referability

It’s accurate, it’s simple, it’s easy to clean, and it’s cheap to buy. It also handles better than any muzzle loader I’ve carried because of the lightweight barrel contour. I’d recommend the Pursuit to anyone needing a deer killer muzzleloader.

One thought on “Traditions Pursuit Ultralight Muzzleloader”

This gun was right on, out of the box. First at 30 yards, just to make sure that it was close. Then at 50 and dead on @ 100 yards. 100 grains of powder & 250 grain bullet. Can’t wait to get this muzzle loader in the woods this weekend.